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DFG 3D-Viewer – Development of an infrastructure for digital 3D reconstructions

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Igor Bajena at University of Bologna
Igor Bajena
Daniel Dworak at University of Applied Sciences Mainz
Daniel Dworak
Piotr Kuroczyński at University of Applied Sciences Mainz
Piotr Kuroczyński
René Smolarski
René Smolarski
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Digital Humanities 2022
and supporting one another to take practical actions both
immediately and in the longer term. Throughout this second
part of the paper, we will highlight connections between
the local and the global, and explore how DH communities
around the world can collaborate to address planetary
challenges.
The next few years are crucial if the world is to meet
the target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees. To
work effectively on such a timescale, our practice will
need to evolve rapidly. We therefore expect that our paper
in July may also reflect new challenges, opportunities,
collaborations, and points of interest to emerge in the first
half of 2022, which are not yet known to us. Through this
manifesto and paper, we aim to find and build resilient
communities within digital humanities—to connect,
encourage, and support the ways we are already responding
to the global climate crisis, and all the ways to come.
Bibliography
Bender, Emily M, Timnit Gebru, Angelina McMillan-
Major, and Shmargaret Shmitchell. ‘On the Dangers of
Stochastic Parrots: Can Language Models Be Too Big?’,
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Laura Alagna. ‘Toward Environmentally Sustainable Digital
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Supran, Geoffrey, and Naomi Oreskes. ‘Rhetoric
and Frame Analysis of ExxonMobil’s Climate Change
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719. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2021.04.014.
DFG 3D-Viewer – Development of
an infrastructure for digital 3D
reconstructions
Bajena, Igor Piotr
igorpiotr.bajena@unibo.it
Hochschule Mainz – University of Applied Sciences,
Germany; University of Bologna, Italy
Dworak, Daniel
daniel.dworak@hs-mainz.de
Hochschule Mainz – University of Applied Sciences,
Germany
Kuroczyński, Piotr
piotr.kuroczynski@hs-mainz.de
Hochschule Mainz – University of Applied Sciences,
Germany
Smolarski, René
rene.smolarski@uni-jena.de
Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Germany
Münster, Sander
sander.muenster@uni-jena.de
Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Germany
Introduction
An important element in digital 3D reconstruction, in
the fields of archeology, art and architecture history, is the
subsequent visualization of the result (Messemer, 2016).
The standardization of the documentation and publication
is seen as the most important priority across the board
(Cieslik, 2020). Widely established 3D repositories with
integrated 3D visualization such as Sketchfab (https://
sketchfab.com/) belong to a commercial offer, while 3D
viewers introduced by scientific institutions like Kompakkt
(https://kompakkt.de/home) or by other research projects
like patrimonium.net (Dworak, Kuroczyński, 2016) have
still not provided approved and applied standards for the
documentation and publication of 3D models in the field of
hypothetical 3D reconstruction of art and architecture.
Project assumptions
Against this background, the project “DFG 3D-
Viewer - Infrastructure for digital 3D reconstructions” was
launched, which the goal is to provide an offer of permanent
infrastructure for decentralized web-based display of models
in the DFG 3D-Viewer and in suitable Virtual Research
Environments (VRE), accompanied by low threshold
interface usage (http://dfg-viewer.de/en/dfg-3d-viewer). The
work presented here concerns the results of the first phase
117
Digital Humanities 2022
of the project including the definition of documentation
standards for web-based 3D publication of the digital
reconstruction models and the development of the web-
based 3D-viewer for digital datasets as a minimal-effort
plugin. Proposed solution considers a generic approach
with adaptability and reusability (Münster, 2019), respects
FAIR principles (https://www.go-fair.org/fair-principles/)
and follows existing DFG (German Research Foundation)
standards (https://www.dfg.de/en/research_funding/
principles_dfg_funding/good_scientific_practice/
index.html).
Minimal documentation standard
Analysis of documented metadata of the chosen
commercial and institutional 3D repositories formed the
basis for the definition of a scheme for documentation
(Fig. 1). The developed data set was discussed among the
community in the form of a survey, which significantly
advanced the work towards establishing a standard. It also
allowed to emerge documentation-related functionalities
of the viewer, such as automatic rendering of the preview
images or the displaying the information about model
geometry (3D metadata) in the viewer window. The
documentation scheme was implemented in a new
prototypical 3D repository created in WissKI-based VRE
(http://wiss-ki.eu/), which has already been successfully
used in several projects of digital reconstructions at the
University of Applied Sciences Mainz (Kuroczyński et
al., 2022; https://www.new-synagogue-breslau-3d.hs-
mainz.de). The data model in the repository uses the CIDOC
Conceptual Reference Model (https://www.cidoc-crm.org/)
as an ontology. The fundamental research on data modelling
was carried out along the community in order to concerns
about different combinations of classes and properties to
describe the same aspects of documentation.
Fig.1
The comparison of metadata sets in chosen institutional and
commercial 3D web-based repositories (©2021, Hochschule
Mainz).
Framework architecture of the 3D
Viewer
Comparing present 3D viewer solutions, it was decided
to take the following properties into account: support
for 2D & 3D objects, variety of source formats, support
for complex objects, modern technology based, suitable
for hand-modeled and laser-scanned objects, 3D world
operations, level of detail (LoD) as models representations,
compression of 3D objects, 3D metadata, utilities/tools,
documentation.
It appears that only a few 3D viewers fulfill more than
half of the requirements. In fact, some of the analyzed
applications support 2D/3D objects and a variety of formats,
but some are still missing (PLY, XYZ, DAE) (Champion,
Rahaman, 2020). These technologies are optimized for
hand-modeled objects, while others only for laser-scanned
ones. Three of them allow 3D world operations and support
3D metadata, nevertheless none of them supports 3D
compression.
118
Digital Humanities 2022
Fig.2
Comparison of functionalities of the most competitive 3D
viewers on the market (©2021, Hochschule Mainz).
The architecture of the DFG 3D-Viewer is developed
considering existing web-based 3D viewers (Champion,
Rahaman, 2020; Fernie at al., 2020). Conducted research
compares existing infrastructures and viewers (Fig. 2),
as well as the concept of a modular architecture for the
DFG 3D-Viewer. It concludes that the framework for the
scientific 3D infrastructure (considering documentation and
publication) should be cross-browser, platform independent
and based on modern, promising and long-term supported
technology. The viewer should allow viewing of 3D models
with textures, stored in the most common formats used
nowadays , i.e. OBJ, DAE, FBX, JSON (Cieslik, 2020). It
should be also capable of loading 2D images (JPG, PNG,
TIFF) (Cieslik, 2020), 3D metadata and provide 3D world
operations on models (Fernie at al., 2020). Solution should
be integrable out of the box, open source and client-only
in order to distribute workload away from the server and
minimize the requirements for repository providers to
support the DFG 3D-Viewer.
The developed framework is based on the existing
3D library - three.js. Implementation was prepared in
modern and interchangeable programming languages and
technologies as JavaScript, PHP or Python. Architecture is
optimized to be technology-independent and can be easily
exchanged for any other client-side viewer. The solution is
suitable for complex, hand-modeled, laser-scanned objects
and 3D metadata as well. The viewer is extended to meet
the requirements of the specialist community, including the
possibility of displaying highly complex geometries and
multiple data formats (inter alia IFC and FBX) (Fernie at
al., 2020). Moreover, uploading 3D data triggers automatic
unattended compression, based on Draco algorithm, and
encoding into the glTF format which is optimized for web-
based visualization (Fig. 3).
Fig.3
Rendered entity in the 3D Repository with visualized 3D
model in the DFG 3D-Viewer (©2022, Hochschule Mainz).
Further research
The next stage of the project is the implementation
of the developed modular DFG 3D-Viewer in various
academic institutions' repositories, which will be realized
in the next two years. The final solution will be available as
minimal-effort plugin (set of scripts) for any environment
that supports JavaScript, PHP and Python. The datasets
from decentralised library repositories will be indexed
and displayed in centralized browser web service. As a
result, users are provided with a uniform interface for
viewing digitised media. The project serves also for further
fundamental research conducted by two PhDs in work
in the topic of the scientific validation of published 3D
reconstruction data and also visualization of the uncertainty
on the published 3D models.
Bibliography
Champion, E. and Rahaman, H. (2020). Survey of
3D digital heritage repositories and platforms, Virtual
Archaeology Review, 11(23):1.
https://www.cidoc-crm.org/ (accessed 09 December
2021)
119
Digital Humanities 2022
Cieslik, E.(2020). 3D Digitization in Cultural Heritage
Institutions Guidebook. Baltimore: Dr. Samuel D. Harris
National Museum of Dentistry.
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principles_dfg_funding/good_scientific_practice/index.html
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Dworak, D., Kuroczyński, P. (2016) Virtual
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Visualisation and Documentation of Lost Cultural Heritage.
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Fernie, K. et al. (2020).3D content in Europeana task
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Kuroczyński, P.(2017). Virtual Research Environment
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Kuroczyński, P., Bajena, I., Große, P., Jara, K., Wnęk
K.(2022) Digital Reconstruction of the New Synagogue in
Breslau: New Approaches to Object-Oriented Research.
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Conference on Research and Education in Urban History
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Cultural Heritage, Springer, January 2022.
Messemer, H. (2016) The Beginnings of Digital
Visualisation of Historical Architecture in the Academic
Field. In: Hoppe, S. and Breitling, S. (eds.), V irtual
Palaces, Part II. Lost Palaces and their Afterlife. Virtual
Reconstruction between Science and Media, München:
PALATIUM, pp. 21-54.
Münster, S. (2019) Digital Cultural Heritage as
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Cultural Heritage 12(3): 22-49.
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2021)
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http://wiss-ki.eu/ (accessed on 09 December 2021)
Representing uncertainty and cultural
bias with Semantic Web technologies
Baroncini, Sofia
sofia.baroncini4@unibo.it
Digital Humanities Advanced Research Centre, University
of Bologna
Daquino, Marilena
marilena.daquino2@unibo.it
Digital Humanities Advanced Research Centre, University
of Bologna
Pasqual, Valentina
valentina.pasqual2@unibo.it
Digital Humanities Advanced Research Centre, University
of Bologna
Tomasi, Francesca
francesca.tomasi@unibo.it
Digital Humanities Advanced Research Centre, University
of Bologna
Vitali, Fabio
fabio.vitali@unibo.it
Digital Humanities Advanced Research Centre, University
of Bologna
Disagreements on scholarly topics are often the result of
different levels of expertise, cultural-dependent viewpoints
and methodologies (Eco, 1976; Ginzburg, 1978), as well as
geographical and temporal constraints, due e.g. to scholars’
provenance or temporal changes in interpreting reality. For
example, classifying modern Chinese calligraphy (CMC)
artworks is challenging (Iezzi, 2015). For instance, the
series of paintings “Da wo miao mo” (1994-) by Zhang
Dawo (张⼤我) 1 (Iezzi, 2014) has been categorised by
Gordon Barrass as “oriental abstract expressionism”. Wang
Nanming categorised it as “abstract expressionism of
calligraphic characteristics'', stressing on its calligraphic
component - cfr. also (Iezzi, 2013-4; Xia Kejun, 2015).
Despite not being alternative statements, these reflect
differences rooted in scholars’ backgrounds - and the
scholars’ identity is recognized as an important element to
understand classifications of CMC (Iezzi, 2015).
Back in 1939, Erwin Panofsky argued that background
and experience of the observer can affect even rather
simple tasks such as the identification of objects and events
120
... Agreement on a modeling, documentation, and publication method could guarantee the FAIR use of 3D models as serious 3D in archaeology, art and architectural history. Further considerations in this regard can be based on the concept of the Digital Critical Model [44], and the Scientific Reference Model [45,51] (→ Scholarly Method). ...
... Development of the Methodology and Infrastructure for digital 3D Reconstructions, in: Proceedings of (IN)TANGIBLE HERITAGE(S) A conference on technology, culture and design, Canterbury 2022, AMPS conference proceedings series, ISSN 2398-9467, pp. 72-83 [45]. ...
Documentation
Chapter
Full-text available
  • Apr 2024
The documentation of the working steps, the decisions made in a reconstruction, the applied method, and the results form one of the cornerstones of scientific practice. Over the centuries, scientific publication established itself with fixed basic principles, such as verifiability of methods, objectivity, disclosure of sources, comprehensibility of argumentation, accessibility of results, accuracy, reliability, and uniformity [1]. In computer-aided, hypothetical 3D reconstruction of destroyed architecture, the application of the above basic principles faces an as yet unsolved challenge. The model creation process is rarely documented, and when it is, the documentation is usually not publicly available. The knowledge embedded in reconstructions, scientific interpretation, argumentation, and hypothesis, is in danger of being lost. Due to the lack of resources, diverse and rapidly developing software applications, modelling methods and types, no application-based method for documenting and publishing 3D models has been established. Three decades into the spread of computer-assisted 3D visualization in the research and mediation of cultural heritage, discussion of the question of what and how to document has intensified. The Internet as a publication venue seems to make sense to most. Web-based documentation requires technical infrastructures and services as well as defined scientific methods for comprehensible modeling and sustainable provision. The following chapter is dedicated to describing and clarifying these developments.
View
... CFIR.science, MorphoSource [97], Stanford 3D, Exhibit, Virtual Interiors, DarkLab, GB3D, CyArk [98], NASA 3D [99], Kompakkt, and Potree (overviews: [23,24,100]) are available and used in multiple projects, primarily at the national level, e.g., [101]. ...
... The glTF format was chosen since it is widely supported by WebGL-based viewers and has numerous relevant features for browser-based viewing, such as single-file containers or progressive loading [134]. Previous articles have provided explanations of the overall project [100], as well as specific components, such as the metadata scheme [135] and usage scenarios [116]. ...
Advancements in 3D Heritage Data Aggregation and Enrichment in Europe: Implications for Designing the Jena Experimental Repository for the DFG 3D Viewer
Article
Full-text available
  • Aug 2023
Since the 2010s, various national and pan-European public infrastructures have been emerging around aggregation, viewing, and 3D heritage model collection. The purpose of this article is to focus on the current state and ecosystem for 3D models in Europe through (a) a review of published studies on users, objects, and demands (b) and an overview of the ecosystem for 3D heritage data. As part of the German distributed infrastructure, the DFG 3D Viewer Jena experimental repository serves as a testbed for technology prototyping and testing. Based on the findings of the European ecosystem, we used this repository to test a prototypic approach to (c) acquiring 3D data from multiple sources, (d) enriching data quality, and (e) enabling indexing, searching, and viewing functionalities.
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... As part of the expansion of the study, a search was initiated for well-established 3D repositories that can provide information in terms of documentation. Using existing scientific publications on 3D repositories [4,11,12], online materials prepared by 3D hobbyists [13][14][15], and own practical experience [16], a compilation of existing repositories was created. Although the total analysis covered nearly 50 repositories, only the top 15 repositories each from commercial and institutional offerings are presented below (see Table 2). ...
... 14 Native file format of Archicad by Graphisoft.15 Native file format of Cinema4D by MAXON COMPUTER GMBH.16 GL Transmission Format (GLTF) is a standard 3D file for three-dimensional scenes and models. ...
Metadata for 3D Digital Heritage Models. In the Search of a Common Ground
Chapter
  • Jul 2023
The publication of 3D models has been an unregulated issue for many years. Recently, it has been possible to identify barriers that have prevented the proper preparation of 3D data for web-based publication, related to uncleared copyright issues, access to 3D files, targeted audiences, or distinction of requirements related to different stages of the digital asset lifecycle. In response to these challenges, numerous scientific infrastructures with diverse backgrounds and purposes have emerged, presenting different approaches to metadata documentation schemes. This publication aims to present an analysis of existing metadata schemas carried out in a workshop with selected initiatives and digital data repositories on metadata for digital heritage to find the common grounds between the various metadata schemas. The compilation of multiple documentation schemas is used to develop an approach for the creation of a universal documentation metadata patterns that could guide the work on the standardisation of 3D models of cultural heritage.Keywords3d modelsdigital heritagemetadata schemadocumentationdata repositoriesdata interoperability
View
... Such aspects are fundamental to ensuring transparency and to creating accessible and comparable reconstructions. The creation of Virtual Research Environments [39][40][41] can be considered as a means through which data and reconstructions can be securely archived while also being easily accessible to different scholars. Such means could offer a significant step forward in sharing meaningful data in humanities. ...
The Three-Dimensional Model as a ‘Scientific Fact’: The Scientific Methodology in Hypothetical Reconstruction
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For more than thirty years, 3D digital modelling has been used more and more widely as a research tool in various disciplinary fields. Despite this, the 3D models produced by different research, investigation, and speculation activities are still only used as a basis and as sources for the production of images and scientific contributions (papers in journals, contributions in conference proceedings, etc.) in dissemination and cultural activities, but without having yet assumed full autonomy as a ‘scientific fact’, as a product of research, or as a means of scientific debate and progress. This paper outlines the context in the field of architecture and archeology in which the use of 3D models has become increasingly widespread, reaching a level of full maturity, and how the field of hypothetical reconstruction can be characterized as an autonomous/scientific discipline through the definition and adoption of a scientific, transparent, verifiable, reusable, and refutable method. In this context, the definition of the 3D model as a product of scientific speculation and research is proposed.
View
... Despite the hype about glasses-based XR, 3D models and visualscapes are mostly accessed via mobile and desktop screens [181]. Various viewers, e.g., Smithsonian3D, 3DHOP, Potree, and DFG 3D Viewer (Overviews: [182][183][184]), are available and used in multiple projects. Other tools come from the gaming industry (Unreal and Unity engines) and are frequently used to visualize heritage content, while Google Earth or Apple Maps are world viewers but mostly lack the 4D history dimension. ...
A Digital 4D Information System on the World Scale: Research Challenges, Approaches, and Preliminary Results
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Numerous digital media repositories have been set up during recent decades, each containing plenty of data about historic cityscapes. In contrast, digital 3D reconstructions of no longer extant cityscapes have so far almost solely been performed for specific cases and via manual modelling techniques. Within the Jena4D research group, we are investigating and developing methods and technologies for transferring historical media and their contextual information into 4D models. The next step will be to automate this process and extend it to the world scale. Our team are working on different facets of that endeavor: retrieving images, text, and object data from public sources; crowdsourcing and collecting qualitative data from contests and pupil labs; processing historical plans and photographs to extract spatial data; location-based mobile visualization; and collection-browsing interfaces. This article is intended to highlight (1) current challenges, (2) the state of the art, (3) our approach to 4D modelling and visualization on the world scale, and (4) results from testing demo cases in Dresden, Jena, and Amsterdam.
View
... 15 rooms were assigned to the students and used as test areas for the various exercises proposed during the course. Some of these were aimed at the production and processing of geometric data, such as photogrammetric design of vaults, alignment of laser scans, mesh and NURBS modelling, while other exercises focused on heritage information and knowledge engineering in the field of architectural heritage, as similarly proposed in other works such as (Zlodi et al., 2020;Bajena & Kuroczyński, 2023). Students were first of all asked to describe the rooms discursively, or rather through "natural language", and then to translate those first attempts to describe the rooms into a "standardized language" through the use of controlled vocabularies. ...
ANALYSIS OF THE SPATIAL-SEMANTIC COHERENCE IN THE GETTY AAT VOCABULARY DATA STRUCTURE - AN EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE
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Full-text available
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The paper explores the integration of Geomatics and architectural surveying into the educational context of Geomatic for Built Heritage Conservation course within the Master on Architectural Design, in which a multidisciplinary teaching approach is applied, emphasizing the importance of holistic knowledge encompassing historical, geometric, material, and structural aspects for the conservation and restoration of architectural heritage.A central theme is the role of Geomatics and 3D modelling in historical built heritage documentation, assuming the creation of three-dimensional models as a foundation for integrating various thematic data, enabling interdisciplinary studies, and facilitating knowledge representation and communication.The paper delves into the challenges and strategies of semantic 3D modelling. It discusses the necessity for a flexible and layered informational model, integrating spatial, geometric, and semantic data. The complexity of semantic annotation is explored, considering the subjectivity and cultural context inherent in identifying and describing architectural elements. The educational approach employed in fostering critical thinking among students, particularly in interpreting cultural heritage issues related to documentation and recording, is presented.A case study involving Pitti Palace in Florence is considered. An attempt to implement the Getty Vocabulary on Art & Architecture Thesaurus for semantic annotation is described, emphasizing the need for a coherent alignment between the 3D model and controlled vocabulary hierarchy. The study concludes with insights from the student's experience, highlighting the difficulties in aligning spatial and semantic elements within existing controlled vocabularies and suggesting avenues for future developments in refining these vocabularies for enhanced spatial-semantic coherence in 3D modelling applications.
View
... A recent overview on 3D information systems and user demands revealed especially the high demand for open and accessible 3D content [688]. Beside various infrastructure projects on European level [689,690], in Germany three projects of the German Research Council (DFG) are developing infrastructures for 3D reconstruction-one of them dedicated to enhancing the DFG Viewer by 3D viewing capabilities [691], the others focus on the documentation of the modelling process [692] and a virtual research infrastructure to connect the 3D model with further knowledge bases [693]. ...
Digital 3D Technologies for Humanities Research and Education: An Overview
Article
Full-text available
  • Feb 2022
Digital 3D modelling and visualization technologies have been widely applied to support research in the humanities since the 1980s. Since technological backgrounds, project opportunities, and methodological considerations for application are widely discussed in the literature, one of the next tasks is to validate these techniques within a wider scientific community and establish them in the culture of academic disciplines. This article resulted from a postdoctoral thesis and is intended to provide a comprehensive overview on the use of digital 3D technologies in the humanities with regards to (1) scenarios, user communities, and epistemic challenges; (2) technologies, UX design, and workflows; and (3) framework conditions as legislation, infrastructures, and teaching programs. Although the results are of relevance for 3D modelling in all humanities disciplines, the focus of our studies is on modelling of past architectural and cultural landscape objects via interpretative 3D reconstruction methods.
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Scientific Reference Model - A methodological approach in hypothetical 3D reconstruction of architecture
Article
Full-text available
  • Nov 2022
The documentation of the procedures, the applied method as well as the resulting outcomes is one of the cornerstones of scientific practice. Over the centuries, scientific publication established itself with set basic principles , such as verification of methods, objectivity, disclosure of sources, comprehensibility of reasoning, accessibility of results, accuracy and reliability, uniformity (Brink, 2013). In the field of computer-based hypothetical 3D reconstruction, the application of the above basic principles faces a yet unsolved challenge related to the new nature of research data and their derivation. Considering 3D modeling and the 3D model as a scientific interpretation, reasoning and hypothesis, it is found that due to manifold and rapidly developing software applications, modeling methods and types, no application-related documentation and publication of 3D models has been established. In consequence, the results of the work are not traceable, cannot be found, are not accessible and are not sustainable. Three decades after the spread of computer-aided 3D-visualization in the research and dissemination of cultural heritage, we observe an intensified examination of the question of what and how should be documented. Web-based documentation and publication requires technical infrastructures and services as well as the definition of scientific methods in terms of a comprehensible model creation and sustainable accessibility to the research data (re-)presented in form of 3D models. The Scientific Reference Model aims at establishing an academic working method with a low barrier for a broad application in digital hypothetical 3D reconstruction. As a result, it should ensure a comprehensible and accessible (on the web) 3D model which can serve as a source reference for further research and dissemination of knowledge. The method is based on seven work packages developed and tested within research projects (Kuroczyński et al., 2021) and educational courses.
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Digital Urban History Lab – Serious 3D in Research, Education and Popularization of Cultural Heritage
Chapter
  • Jul 2023
The paper deals with the impact of the digital transformation on the research, documentation and dissemination of historical information, with a focus on the spatial development history of cities. The Digital Urban History Lab aims to exploit the challenges and opportunities of this digital transformation to move one step closer towards ‘Serious 3D’ in research, education and popularization of cultural heritage. The use of digital 3D reconstructions in scholarly projects, documentaries, and exhibitions has become increasingly common. However, unresolved issues have arisen regarding the scholarly nature of these reconstructions and their findability, accessibility, interoperability and reusability. The Digital Urban History Lab addresses the above questions using the example of reprocessing, documenting, and communicating the latest findings about medieval cities: Mainz, Worms and Speyer. The focus is on the sustainability of research data and includes the development of a CIDOC CRM referenced data model and a virtual research environment using Linked Data technologies. The Digital Urban History Lab represents an exhibition space where the 3D models are presented along with interactive access to the knowledge behind them. The focus of the consideration is the working method of a source-based hypothetical 3D reconstruction of the past, which is hidden behind the concept of ‘Scientific Reference Model’. Overall, the project illustrates the potential of scientifically based 3D models, supported by structured, semantically enriched, referenceable research data, which ensure accessibility and reusability, among others, for research, education, creative industries, etc. KeywordsSerious 3DScientific Reference ModelHypothetical 3d reconstructiondata modelingCIDOC CRM
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Survey of 3D digital heritage repositories and platforms
Article
Full-text available
  • Jul 2020
p class="VARAbstract">Despite the increasing number of three-dimensional (3D) model portals and online repositories catering for digital heritage scholars, students and interested members of the general public, there are very few recent academic publications that offer a critical analysis when reviewing the relative potential of these portals and online repositories. Solid reviews of the features and functions they offer are insufficient; there is also a lack of explanations as to how these assets and their related functionality can further the digital heritage (and virtual heritage) field, and help in the preservation, maintenance, and promotion of real-world 3D heritage sites and assets. What features do they offer? How could their feature list better cater for the needs of the GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives and museums) sector? This article’s priority is to examine the useful features of 8 institutional and 11 commercial repositories designed specifically to host 3D digital models. The available features of their associated 3D viewers, where applicable, are also analysed, connecting recommendations for future-proofing with the need to address current gaps and weaknesses in the scholarly field of 3D digital heritage. Many projects do not address the requirements stipulated by charters, such as access, reusability, and preservation. The lack of preservation strategies and examples highlights the oxymoronic nature of virtual heritage (oxymoronic in the sense that the virtual heritage projects themselves are seldom preserved). To study these concerns, six criteria for gauging the usefulness of the 3D repositories to host 3D digital models and related digital assets are suggested. The authors also provide 13 features that would be useful additions for their 3D viewers. Highlights: A survey of relevant features from eight institutional and eleven commercial online 3D repositories in the scholarly fieldof 3D digital heritage. Presents a critical review of their hosting services and 3D model viewer features. Proposes six features to enhance services of 3D repositories to support the GLAM sector, heritage scholars andheritage communities. </ul
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Digital Heritage as a Scholarly Field—Topics, Researchers, and Perspectives from a Bibliometric Point of View
Article
Full-text available
  • Jul 2019
Digital heritage comprises a broad variety of approaches and topics and involves researchers from multiple disciplines. Against this background, this article presents a four-stage investigation on standards, publications, disciplinary cultures, as well as scholars in the field of digital heritage and particularly tangible objects as monuments and sites, carried out in 2016 and 2017. It includes results of (1) the inquiry of nearly 4,000 publications from major conferences, (2) a workshop-based survey involving 44 researchers, (3) 15 qualitative interviews, as well as (4) two online surveys with 1,000 and 700 participants, respectively. As an overall finding, the community is driven by researchers from European countries, especially Italy, with a background in humanities. Cross-national co-authorships are promoted by cultural and spatial closeness and—probably due to funding policy—EU membership. A discourse is primarily driven by technologies, and the most common keywords refer to the technologies used. Most prominent research areas are data acquisition and management, visualization, and analysis. Recent topics are, for instance, unmanned airborne vehicle (UAV)-based 3D surveying technologies, augmented and virtual reality visualization, metadata and paradata standards for documentation, and virtual museums. Since a lack of money is named as the biggest obstacle nowadays, competency and human resources are most frequently named as demand. An epistemic culture in the scholarly field of digital heritage is closer to engineering than to humanities. Moreover, conference series are most relevant for a scientific discourse, and especially EU projects set pace as most important research endeavors.
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3D content in Europeana task force
  • Dec 2020
  • 10
  • K Fernie
Fernie, K. et al. (2020). 3D content in Europeana task force, Hague: Europeana Network Association. https://kompakkt.de/home (accessed on 10 December 2021).
  • Jan 2017
  • 456-476
  • P Kuroczyński
  • B Frischer
  • G Guidi
  • W Börner
Kuroczyński, P. (2017). Virtual Research Environment for Digital 3D Reconstructions: Standards, Thresholds and Prospects. In: Frischer, B., Guidi, G., Börner, W., (Hg.) Cultural Heritage and New Technologies 2016 Proceedings, Studies in Digital Heritage, Open Access Journal, Vol. 1, No. 2, 2017, pp. 456 -476.
The Beginnings of Digital Visualisation of Historical Architecture in the Academic Field
  • Jan 2016
  • 21-54
  • H Messemer
Messemer, H. (2016) The Beginnings of Digital Visualisation of Historical Architecture in the Academic Field. In: Hoppe, S. and Breitling, S. (eds.), Virtual Palaces, Part II. Lost Palaces and their Afterlife. Virtual Reconstruction between Science and Media, München: PALATIUM, pp. 21-54.